The Holy Archdiocese of Canada announces that, at the first Clergy Assembly presided over by His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos of Canada, it was decided, following his proposal, to establish the three contemporary Saints of the Orthodox Church — Iakovos of Evia (Tsalikes), Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Venerable David the Elder; Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva; and Paisios the Athonite — as patrons of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada. His Eminence’s proposal was unanimously accepted by the participating clergy.
On November 22 of each year, the day on which our Church honors the sacred memory of Saint Iakovos of Evia (Tsalikes), the other two new patrons of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada, Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva and Saint Paisios the Athonite, will also be honored with particular joy and reverence.
Referring to the spiritual and pastoral significance of establishing the three Saints as patrons of the local Church, His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos particularly emphasized the need to offer the younger generation authentic examples of faith, holiness, and Christian life. He stated:
“Our children and young people need living examples of faith and holiness. My desire is to give our children, especially those who were born and are growing up here in Canada, the opportunity to come to know these three great Saints of our time. These were men who lived among us and who, through their prayer, humility, discernment, and selfless love for their fellow human beings, revealed through their lives what true devotion to Christ means. I believe that the special veneration of these three Saints will constitute a new spiritual starting point for the youth of our Archdiocese and a valuable opportunity for them to come to know more deeply the living faith and sanctifying tradition of our Church.”
His Eminence also pointed out that modern technology and the wealth of audiovisual material that has been preserved offer young people the opportunity to become familiar with the faces of the Saints, hear their voices, and learn from their words, spiritual counsel, and examples of life.
He also spoke with particular emotion of his personal acquaintance with Saint Paisios the Athonite, emphasizing that holiness is not an exclusive characteristic of earlier eras, but an enduring and living reality within the Church.
As he noted, “Our Church is a living ark of salvation, with our Lord Jesus Christ as its Head, and continues in every age to bring forth Saints who bear witness to the presence of divine grace in the contemporary world.”
The Archbishop also expressed his profound gratitude to the Mother Church of Christ, the Great Church, and to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, during whose patriarchate the three contemporary Saints were officially inscribed in the calendar of Saints of the Orthodox Church by decisions of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
His Eminence made particular mention of the fact that the Holy Archdiocese of Canada has the exceptional blessing of preserving, as a precious sacred relic, the last epitrachelion (stole) of Saint Iakovos of Evia. Speaking with personal emotion, he described the spiritual benefit he himself has experienced through the intercessions of the Saint, emphasizing that the presence of this sacred relic constitutes a particular blessing and a source of spiritual strengthening for the faithful of the local Church.
At the upcoming celebration on November 22, which will take place at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Toronto, His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos will bring the sacred epitrachelion of Saint Iakovos of Evia, which will be placed for veneration and for the blessing of the faithful.
On November 22 of each year, the day on which our Church honors the sacred memory of Saint Iakovos of Evia (Tsalikes), the other two new patrons of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada, Saint Porphyrios of Kavsokalyva and Saint Paisios the Athonite, will also be honored with particular joy and reverence.
Referring to the spiritual and pastoral significance of establishing the three Saints as patrons of the local Church, His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos particularly emphasized the need to offer the younger generation authentic examples of faith, holiness, and Christian life. He stated:
“Our children and young people need living examples of faith and holiness. My desire is to give our children, especially those who were born and are growing up here in Canada, the opportunity to come to know these three great Saints of our time. These were men who lived among us and who, through their prayer, humility, discernment, and selfless love for their fellow human beings, revealed through their lives what true devotion to Christ means. I believe that the special veneration of these three Saints will constitute a new spiritual starting point for the youth of our Archdiocese and a valuable opportunity for them to come to know more deeply the living faith and sanctifying tradition of our Church.”
His Eminence also pointed out that modern technology and the wealth of audiovisual material that has been preserved offer young people the opportunity to become familiar with the faces of the Saints, hear their voices, and learn from their words, spiritual counsel, and examples of life.
He also spoke with particular emotion of his personal acquaintance with Saint Paisios the Athonite, emphasizing that holiness is not an exclusive characteristic of earlier eras, but an enduring and living reality within the Church.
As he noted, “Our Church is a living ark of salvation, with our Lord Jesus Christ as its Head, and continues in every age to bring forth Saints who bear witness to the presence of divine grace in the contemporary world.”
The Archbishop also expressed his profound gratitude to the Mother Church of Christ, the Great Church, and to His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, during whose patriarchate the three contemporary Saints were officially inscribed in the calendar of Saints of the Orthodox Church by decisions of the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
His Eminence made particular mention of the fact that the Holy Archdiocese of Canada has the exceptional blessing of preserving, as a precious sacred relic, the last epitrachelion (stole) of Saint Iakovos of Evia. Speaking with personal emotion, he described the spiritual benefit he himself has experienced through the intercessions of the Saint, emphasizing that the presence of this sacred relic constitutes a particular blessing and a source of spiritual strengthening for the faithful of the local Church.
At the upcoming celebration on November 22, which will take place at the Archdiocesan Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Toronto, His Eminence Archbishop Apostolos will bring the sacred epitrachelion of Saint Iakovos of Evia, which will be placed for veneration and for the blessing of the faithful.
His Eminence finally expressed his wish and hope that, God willing, it may be possible to erect in the future a Holy Church dedicated to the three contemporary Saints, as a lasting point of reference for the spiritual life and unity of the Orthodox faithful of Canada.
The establishment of Saints Iakovos, Porphyrios, and Paisios as patrons of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada constitutes an initiative of particular spiritual significance, intended to cultivate the Orthodox faith, strengthen ecclesiastical life, and, above all, provide spiritual guidance to the children and young people of the Greek diaspora.
The Holy Archdiocese of Canada invokes the intercessions of the three Saints on behalf of its sacred clergy and pious faithful, and especially on behalf of families, children, and young people, so that the example of their holy lives may remain a constant source of inspiration, spiritual strengthening, and hope for present and future generations.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
The establishment of Saints Iakovos, Porphyrios, and Paisios as patrons of the Holy Archdiocese of Canada constitutes an initiative of particular spiritual significance, intended to cultivate the Orthodox faith, strengthen ecclesiastical life, and, above all, provide spiritual guidance to the children and young people of the Greek diaspora.
The Holy Archdiocese of Canada invokes the intercessions of the three Saints on behalf of its sacred clergy and pious faithful, and especially on behalf of families, children, and young people, so that the example of their holy lives may remain a constant source of inspiration, spiritual strengthening, and hope for present and future generations.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
